Ptika was a way my little nephew used to say the word "birdie" in Russian; but in a way that children naturally mispronounce words. Children are such creative beings and as an artist, I aspire to create from that innocent, playful & wonder-filled space within - and that’s how PTIKA was born.

A little about me:

I was born in Latvia and when I was 14 my family immigrated to US and settled in Brooklyn, NY, where I grew up and pursued education and career in visual arts. I graduated with BFA from School of Visual Arts in 2003, with major in graphic design. During my last year of school I took silkscreening classes, which made me fall in love with screen printing. I hand-printed my entire portfolio book, while also experimenting with printing on t-shirts.

My art school portfolio landed me a job as an assistant graphic designer at Calvin Klein Jeans, where I took a deep dive into the world of fashion and learned about fabric dyeing and garment applications. I was inspired to start making my own graphic tees. After work, I took a screen printing workshop at Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), where I was able to start making my own silkscreened tees and silk scarfs.

While I worked as a professional graphic designer in fashion industry I never abandoned my passion for painting, which began in my last year at SVA. I was taking a classes on History of Modern Art and painting workshop. I was incredibly inspired by German Expressionist painting and became fascinated with painting portraits.

In 2016, I quit my full time job in NYC and moved to a small coastal town in Costa Rica, where I continued to work remotely as a freelance graphic designer. Surrounded by lush beauty of the jungle and the vast healing power of the Pacific ocean, I felt incredible joy and liberation, which pushed me to go beyond figurative painting and into the abstract. I finally felt free of the need to control the outcome and the process of painting became an adventure: all I had to do is tune into what wanted to emerge and express it through color, shape and movement.

After 6 months of jungle life, I moved to Miami Beach, FL where I reside to this day.

Creativity flows through so many channels, if you allow it to. Whether it’s painting, making clothing, building something with your hands or cooking a meal. It’s like meditation that connects you deeply to who you are and everything around you. It infuses joy into everything that you do and gives your life meaning and deep fulfillment. And that’s where I want to be.

I spend a lot of time in the ocean and I’m absolutely captivated by its vast, sublime and healing power. Learning to surf has humbled me greatly, and also inspired the content for my most recent art.

My desire is to move, uplift, and bring joy to people through everything I create.

Follow me on Instagram @ptika_llc